(v. a.P. a.) : prō-mitto, mīsi, missum, 3 (sync. forms:
* Promisti for promisisti,Ter. Ad. 5, 8, 17; Cat. 110, 3: promisse for promisisse,id. 110, 5: promissem,Plaut. Bacch. 5, 1, 12; archaic inf. pass. promittier, id. ib. 4, 8, 32), v. a.
* Lit., to let go forward, to send or put forth, to let hang down, let grow, etc. (rare; not in Cic.): ramos vel ferro compescunt vel longius promittunt,suffer to grow longer,Col. 5, 6, 11.—Reflex., to grow: nec ulla arborum avidius se promittit,Plin. 16, 26, 44, § 107.—Of the hair, the beard, to let hang down, let grow: satis constat multos mortales capillum ac barbam promisisse,Liv. 6, 16, 4; 5, 41; cf.: pogoniae, quibus inferiore ex parte promittitur juba,Plin. 2, 25, 22, § 89.—Transf.: (Sonus lusciniae) promittitur revocato spiritu,is drawn out, prolonged,Plin. 10, 29, 43, § 82; Gallia est longe et a nostris litoribus huc usque promissa,Mel. 1, 3; v.infra, P. a.
* Trop., of speech.
* To say beforehand, to forebode, foretell, predict, prophesy (very rare): praesertim cum, si mihi alterum utrum de eventu rerum promittendum esset, id futurum, quod evenit, exploratius possem promittere,Cic. Fam. 6, 1, 5: ut (di) primis minentur extis, bene promittant secundis,id. Div. 2, 17, 38.—Of signs or omens, to forebode, portend: pari in meliora praesagio in Caesaris castris omnia aves victimaeque promiserant,Flor. 4, 7, 9: promittunt omina poenas,Val. Fl. 6, 730: clarum fore (Servium) visa circa caput flamma promiserat, Flor 1, 6, 1; 1, 7, 9.—Also, in gen., to denote beforehand: stella ... vindemiae maturitatem promittens,Plin. 18, 31, 74, § 309.
* To promise, hold out, cause to expect, give hope or promise of, assure (class. and freq.; syn.: polliceor, spondeo, recipio), constr. with acc., an object-clause, or de: domum,Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 28: sestertia septem,Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 81: carmen,id. Epod. 14, 7, dona, Ov Tr. 4, 2, 7: auxilium alicui,id. M. 13, 325: opem,id. F 5, 247: salutem,Luc. 4, 235: ea quae tibi promitto ac recipio,Cic. Fam. 5, 8, 5: si Neptunus quod Theseo promiserat, non fecisset,id. Off. 1, 10, 32: dii faxint, ut faciat ea quae promittit!id. Att. 16, 1, 6.— With inf. (usu. fut. inf.): promitto, recipio, spondeo, C. Caesarem talem semper fore civem, qualis hodie sit,Cic. Phil. 5, 18, 51; cf.: promitto, in meque recipio fore eum, etc.,id. Fam. 13, 10, 3: quem inimicissimum futurum esse promitto et spondeo,id. Mur. 41, 90: surrepturum pallam promisit tibi,Plaut. As. 5, 2, 80; id. Aul. 2, 2, 42; cf. id. Men. 5, 4, 6: promisit Apollo Ambiguam tellure novā Salamina futuram,Hor. C. 1, 7, 28; id. S. 1, 6, 34.—With inf. pres.: si operam dare promittitis,Plaut. Trin. prol. 5; id. Bacch. 4, 8, 79; id. Rud. 2, 6, 56: magorum vanitas ebrietati eas resistere promittit, Plin. 37, 9, 40, § 124; cf.: se remedium afferer tantamque vim morbi levaturum esse promisit,Curt. 3, 6, 2 monstrare, Amm. 22, 7, 5: promittere oratorem,to give promise of becoming,Sen. Contr 4, 29, 10; cf.: per ea scelera se parricidam,excite fears lest he become,Quint. Decl. 1, 6: me Promisi ultorem,Verg. A. 2, 96.—With de: de alicujus voluntate promittere,Cic. Fam. 7, 5, 1: de me tibi sic promitto atque confirmo, me, etc.,id. ib. 3, 10, 1; Hor. S. 1, 4, 103: promittere damni infecti,i. e. to promise indemnification for, become answerable for the possible damage,Cic. Top 4, 22.
* With ut and subj.: promiserat ut daret,Vulg. 2 Par. 21, 7.—Of things' terra ipsa promittit (aquas), gives promise of, leads one to expect water, Plin. 31, 3, 27, § 45: debet extremitas (picturae) sic desinere, ut promittat alia post se,to lead one to suppose, to suggest,id. 35, 10, 36, § 68; Sen. Hippol. 569.
* In partic.
* Lit., hanging down, long; of the hair: coma, Varr. ap. Non. 362, 32; Liv. 38, 17, 3; Ov. Tr. 4, 2, 34: Britanni capillo sunt promisso,Caes. B. G. 5, 14; so, capillus,Nep. Dat. 3, 1: barba,Verg. E. 8, 34; Liv. 2, 23, 4: barba omnibus promissa erat,id. 5, 41, 9; Plin. Ep. 2, 7, 7; Just. 4, 4, 1.—Of the dewlap: boves palearibus amplis et paene ad genua promissis,Col. 6, 1, 3.—Of the belly: sues ventre promisso,Col. 7, 9, 1.
* Subst.: prōmissum, i, n., a promise (very freq. in prose and poetry; cf. promissio, pollicitatio),Cic. Verr 2, 5, 53, § 139: voto quodam et promisso teneri,id. Att. 12, 18, 1: constantia promissi,id. ib. 4, 17, 1: promissum absolvere,Varr. R. R. 2, 11, 1: facere,Cic. Off. 1, 10, 31; 3, 25, 95: exigere,id. ib. 3, 25, 94: ludere aliquem promisso inani,Ov. F. 3, 685.—In plur.: pacta et promissa servare,Cic. Off. 3, 24, 92: illis promissis standum non est, quae, etc.,id. ib. 1, 10, 32: promissis manere,Verg. A. 2, 160: promissa firmare,Ov. M. 10, 430: multa fidem promissa levant,Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 10: dic aliquid dignum promissis,id. S. 2, 3, 6: quo promissa (Ennii) cadant,i. e. the expectations which he raises,id. Ep. 2, 1, 52: promissa dare,to make promises,Cat. 63, 239; to fulfil, Ov. M. 2, 51.
* To offer as a price (post-Aug.): pro domo sestertium millies promittens,Plin. 17. 1, 1, § 3. —Hence, prōmissus, a, um, P a.

s. TLL